


Bloater Attack

by paupotter_4869



Series: The Most Important Thing. . . [19]
Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Patrols, Recovery, Wounded, bloater attack, ellie would kill joel off if he'd died on her watch, it is going to be ok i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28269540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paupotter_4869/pseuds/paupotter_4869
Summary: Out on patrols, Tommy and Joel are attacked by a Bloater. The news scares the hell out of every single resident in Jackson--including, of course, Ellie herself.It's a five-part story, from different POVs, trying to meddle through the difficult turmoil and emotional rollercoaster that the news ensues. Rating for strong language.
Relationships: Ellie & Joel (The Last of Us), Joel (The Last of Us)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Most Important Thing. . . [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033674
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything. All credit to Naughty Dogs. 
> 
> Just a spoonful of fright and angst in the middle of the series. . . Because these characters do live in a post-Apocalyptic and definitely not risk-free world, after all.

Bad news travels fast—that much, Tommy knew. Especially in such a small town like Jackson is. 

What he didn’t know yet was _how fast_ they did. 

Half the town had gathered around the clinic by the time he stopped Pilgrim and Goliath in front of the two-story building where Doc lived and worked at. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pinpoint amongst the crowd the faces of the two women who should be there, aware of the situation and Joel’s condition. 

“Tommy! What the hell happened?” John scowled, stepping forward to hold Joel’s horse’s reins. 

“Explanations later,” he scowled, throwing his leg over the horse. 

He’d already tried explaining twice and it had gotten him nowhere, back at the gates, and again on his way to the clinic, so he’d just decided he wouldn’t waste his saliva anymore until Doc got to Joel. Of course, they were nervous, and they were right to be: Joel was barely conscious, badly injured, and covered in blood. Tommy couldn't get to him in time. 

“Help me out,” Tommy ordered, waving at Savannah and Kristen, the two people closest to the horses, as well. The former held Pilgrim’s reins to keep him steady and the other woman tried to coax Joel to wake up. 

Upon the movement and the familiar voices, Joel opened one eye, shot with blood, and mumbled something. It was no wonder. His lips and his other eye were almost stuck with dried blood. It had taken Tommy too long to take care of that damned thing, carry Joel back to Pilgrim, and ride back to town. 

“What was that?” Savannah asked. 

“Not sure,” said Kristen. 

The man tried talking again, but he only let out a few vowels, unintelligible to the three people tending to Joel and helping him down his horse. Tommy couldn’t provide any answers: Doc had finally gotten out of the clinic, as shocked and worried as everyone else was. 

“What the hell?” he scowled, looking at Tommy—his bloody shirt indicated he had been with Joel. 

The physician did need some answers and so Tommy sighed, scratching the back of his head. 

“Bloater attack,” he said, a simple enough and yet terrifying explanation to give. He’d tried to keep his voice down but the words still traveled amongst the townsfolk. Murmurs and frightened whispers raised, some parents even tried getting their children away, as if the simple word could bring them nightmares. 

It was essential that they checked with the group patrols as soon as they got back. They needed to know if there was a horde of Bloaters nearby, in which case they’d be forced to gather around volunteers for search and killing parties. Every man, woman, and kid living in town could be in danger right now. 

There would be time to discuss it all, however, and that moment was not then. 

“Get Joel inside,” Doc ordered then, moving aside to let John, Savannah, and Kristen into the clinic. The three of them were just able to carry Joel in, who kept mumbling unintelligible things in his tortured state, and put him on one of the beds. 

After shutting the clinic doors, Tommy followed them in. 

“Have you given him any morphine?” Doc asked him over the shoulder. 

“Lost my backpack with the medicine during the commotion,” Tommy said, strained voice. 

“Sit there,” Kristen ordered, pointing at another bed. 

“I’m fine,” scowled the man, shrugging Kristen’s worries and orders, without taking his eyes off of Joel. 

At that moment, James had put on a couple of gloves and sat in a chair by Joel’s side. He felt Joel’s pulse, clicked his tongue, then forced one of Joel’s eyes open to check the pupil’s reaction with a little lantern, and then the second one. 

“You’re limping,” Kristen insisted. 

“Do you really think I give a fuck?” 

He shrugged off Kristen’s hand and approached the bed where Doc and James pursued their examination of his brother. 

“Joel? You with me? Do you know who am I?” James asked. 

“Ell. . . Ell. . .” 

Without understanding Joel’s plea, either, Doc stood and gathered a pair of scissors, whereas Savannah damped a towel in lukewarm water to clean the blood and dirt off Joel’s body after James cut through his clothes. 

They set to work carefully and efficiently, the result of experience. Sadly, life in Jacksonville wasn’t completely risk-free and Doc and his assistants had been forced to work together on a number of occasions patch a fellow friend or neighbor. 

Soon enough, the clothes were done with and they could see the extent of the injuries. From the shoulder to the stomach, Joel had been butchered. Almost as if Jack the Ripper had gotten a whiff at him, Tommy scowled. And Kristen was worried about his pulled ankle. It was short of a miracle Joel was still alive, for Pete’s sake. 

“Goddammit,” Doc scowled, wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

He turned around towards the medicine cabinet and prepared a syringe of morphine. Joel seemed to recognize what that was and tried to wiggle his way out of bed. 

“No. . .” 

“You’ll feel much better in a second, Joel, I promise,” said James, almost warm voice. 

“Don’t. . .” Joel replied again, making a very wrong move of attempting to leave his bed. He groaned out of pain and James restrained him back on the mattress, holding Joel by the uninjured shoulder. 

“Stay right here,” he ordered, succinct. “He’s delusional, Doc, give him the morphine now.”

“Ellie. . .”

“Oh, not again,” scowled Tommy, turning away in frustration. He’d thought Joel had asked for Ellie a few times after the attack, but he’d hoped his brother was just confused and groggy concerning his whereabouts and time. He now knew he wasn’t. “Can somebody please get Ellie? I swear to god my stupid brother could be stranded in the middle of the desert and still ask for her before a mouthful of water.” 

“I’ll get her,” Savannah nodded. 

She left hurriedly to search for the girl, in the more than likely scenario she hadn’t yet heard about Joel’s condition. When she opened the door, she almost bumped into Maria on her way in. 

“Over there,” Savannah said, pointing at the bed where Joel was lying. 

Hastily, Maria headed over to the bed, resting a warm hand on Tommy’s shoulder. The man raised his arm not to let Maria near the bed to prevent interrupting Doc’s work. It was, quite literally, a matter of life and death. 

“How’s he?” Maria demanded. 

“Not good,” Doc confessed. 

By the look he gave them over the shoulder, Kristen and James were good enough assistants, and Doc didn’t need any spectators. Maria took Tommy aside, far enough from the bed, and yet not too close to the windows where half the town could see them. She also realized Tommy was limping, and feared that some of the blood on his clothes and face did belong to him and not Joel or that freaking Bloater, but she knew better than to point it out now. Joel was the priority at the moment, for one and all. 

“A bloater?” Maria demanded, trying to keep her voice level nonetheless. _“A fucking bloater?”_

“Yes. . .” 

“Are you alright?” Maria insisted, checking Tommy from head to toes for any injuries. The bloody shirt didn’t help her calm down, but he seemed unharmed. “Did he bite you or Joel?” 

Before Tommy could answer and defuse everyone’s worst fears, the door opened again, a breeze of cold air hitting everyone inside—this time, it was Ellie. Her cheeks red, she hadn’t even put on her damned coat, and in her hastiness, she almost stumbled with her own two feet and fell to the floor. Maria caught her in her arms just in time. 

_“Joel!”_ the girl shrieked, looking for him across the clinic. 

Everyone in the clinic fell silent at that moment, unsure of how to deal with the situation now that Ellie had appeared. The response only made the girl freak out more and she stopped breathing for a second or two, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. 

“Joel,” she repeated. “Where. . .?” 

“Doc’s with him now,” Tommy finally said, somehow pulling off a smile. 

“He will be alright,” Maria attempted to reassure her. 

Their word wasn’t good enough, apparently. Ellie slipped past Maria’s and Tommy’s arms and defenses and dashed straight to Joel’s bed. Without disturbing either Doc’s work, she leaned and knelt by the bedside, taking his hand. He stirred. 

“Ellie?” 

“Yes, it’s me, Joel. What the fuck happened?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” he replied, his eyes focusing and unfocusing. He took a sharp breath and, with a grimace, he reached out his hand for hers. She took it carefully, scared to hurt him further. “What does. . . Matter. . . Is that I’m going to be. . . Just fine. You are not. . . You are not going to be alone. Do you. . . Do you understand?”

That was the longest string of words he’d managed to utter since the attack, excluding the copious number of curses and swearwords he’d uttered while Tommy had carried him to the horses. He now understood Joel had been trying to save up enough energy to comfort Ellie when they’d gotten back to town. 

“I think I do,” nodded the girl. 

“Good,” Joel approved, dropping his arm.

Upon him giving in to the drugs at last, and Ellie freaking out at him passing out, Tommy stepped to rest a hand on her shoulders. Joel had told him everything that had transpired after they first met in Jackson. . . Ellie would never have been able to sleep again during Joel’s convalescence if she hadn’t heard from him directly. It wasn’t going to be enough if he took too long to recover, but Joel did the best he could. 

“Tell me he wasn’t bitten,” Maria asked in a whisper, so low that Ellie couldn’t hear her. 

“He wasn’t. We’re both clean, I made sure of that,” Tommy promised. 

For some years now, ever since he married Maria, they’d shared responsibility for the town and its citizens. The last thing he’d ever want to do was to let an outbreak happen in here, endangering their whole community and livelihood. He never would have brought Joel back if there was even the smallest chance that either of them could be infected. 

No, were that the case, he and Joel would have written a note addressed to Maria and Ellie, and then shot each other in the head to spare them from changing and endangering their friends and neighbors. Someone would eventually find their horses and their notes—wild animals would probably take care of their corpses in time—and everyone back in town would understand. That’s how things worked nowadays, after all. 

Maria knew it and read the truth in Tommy’s eyes. She wouldn’t have seen him or Joel again had they been infected. 

“You took care of a bloater by yourself?” she asked. 

“I. . .” Even though all that Maria needed, in the end, was a yes or no answer, Tommy couldn’t answer that one, couldn’t get a word in to rebuke her hurtful incredulity. He was still in shock and concerned. 

It came out of fucking nowhere. They’d stopped at that freaking Library again, Joel wanted to get some more books, and when they went out and Tommy was distracted saddling his horse for the way back, the thing appeared from the woods. It was upon Joel in the blink of an eye, before either one of the Miller brothers could get their weapons nor fire a single shot. With a single blow, Joel was knocked out, a deep injury bleeding all over his right side. Tommy was almost out of ammo by the time he killed the goddamn thing. He couldn’t recall exactly how he’d gotten Joel on his horse and how he’d managed to get back to town before Joel had bled to death, really. 

Maria saw the expression on his face, the terror in his eyes. “Here. Sit,” she instructed, pointing at a chair. 

Stubborn—as stubborn as Joel was, after all—Tommy refused. As scared a person as he was over his brother’s recovery, there was someone else who, certainly, was even more scared and who needed their attention more than he did.

“Come with me, Ellie,” Tommy ordered, dragging the girl away from Joel and Doc. She wouldn’t have it, however. They could see there was no way she’d leave the clinic any time before Joel himself did. 

Anticipating their needs and further requests, John stepped closer, as well. He rested his hand on Ellie’s shoulder and sat down with her on a bench, giving Tommy and Maria the chance to take care of more pressing matters at the moment. They included, of course, sitting down with a map, pinpointing the location where they’d been surprised by that bloater, and send a cleaning party over there, stat. Tommy might have managed a single bloater but they needed to make sure there were no more Infected. The attack happened way too close to home. 

Despite the fright due to the attack, despite how horrifyingly scared he was for his brother, Tommy knew he wasn’t a priority here, either. He could wait. Joel was in good hands, now, and with any luck, he’d pull through. 

No, the priority right now had another name altogether. He turned to look at Ellie, a shocked, confused, look in her eyes. 

“It’s going to be alright, Ellie, you’ll see,” he promised with a tilted smile. 

She wanted to believe him so badly. They had medicine, shelter, enough food, proper winter clothes, and were safe and sound from Infected and other humans. This situation in no way compared to the one Ellie and Joel faced a couple of years prior, after Joel had gotten fatally wounded. She was not alone anymore, and she counted on professional help to heal Joel, as well as family members to back her up. 

Despite knowing all of that on a rational level, Ellie only managed a half-smile in return. After seeing the extent of Joel’s injuries, she couldn’t but be scared out of her mind. She settled on a chair, her eyes transfixed on Joel’s bed and Doc working on those awful-looking wounds. As long as he didn’t give up, there was hope, she told herself.


	2. Chapter 2

“Guys, we’re closing,” Alicia said. “Go home now.”

No complaints rose upon the early hour—no one was in the mood for late, inane chitchat. The canteen was emptier than usual, too, and the few quiet neighbors left without much of a fuss. 

Alicia went back to the kitchen, although Max dismissed her almost immediately. He could deal with the few remaining dishes to wash. They hadn’t had much work to begin with, for almost everyone had decided to stay home and have dinner with their loved ones. And Max was telling her to do exactly that. 

“Go see him.” 

He avoided making a joke regarding the fact that Alicia had had a hard time concentrating on her cooking all afternoon long. He couldn’t really blame her. In fact, he would have sent her to the clinic hours ago, hadn’t Alicia been worried about such a stupid and trivial thing as town gossip. As if such an occurrence mattered to anyone around here. She couldn’t find a single person in the whole town who wasn’t concerned for Joel’s conditon—why shouldn’t she be allowed to be worried, as well? 

“Thanks. See you tomorrow,” she bid farewell, one foot out of the door, already. 

Wrapping her scarf around her neck, that same scarf she, once upon a time, lent Joel for his patrol with Ellie, Alicia ventured into the cold evening. It was quiet today at Jackson, no movies, no drinks with friends, no games—and, above all, no forsaken songs tonight. There was no one outside on the streets for an evening stroll, or chatting up with friends, or returning after having dinner at a neighbor’s place. Even the look-outs were quieter than usual, more on alert than ever. 

It was a recurring theme around town, whenever they were devastatingly and suddenly reminded of how fragile and short life could be. Safe as their community was, despite all of their efforts, death visited every so often. No one would ever get used to mourning and grieving. On nights like this one, everyone reconvened with their loved ones, be it friends or family, and stayed home. It was much more than a ritual. It was, plain and simple, the commemoration of life’s intrinsic fleeting condition. 

Still, the other patrols had brought some peace of mind. No one else had spotted a Bloater, much less a horde of Bloaters, anywhere near Jackson. Just to please everyone, Maria had promised they’d double the patrols the next few days just to be sure, but everyone’s greatest fears had been, blissfully, placated. No one was in imminent danger. 

No one, of course, except for Joel. 

The two-story clinic building finally came to view, although it was fair to say Alicia hadn’t put her heart into the stroll. The reason why she’d stayed at the canteen despite her awful cooking, and the reason why she now stood frozen just a few feet from the clinic, was very simple. She was terrified. Everyone in town had lost someone after the Apocalypse—she realized she was not alone there. The thing was, a part of her feared her heart couldn’t take any more losses. She hadn’t planned to fall head over heels for Joel. 

Movement caught her eye and Alicia spun, swallowing back a yelp. Ellie was sitting on James’s porch, the house closest to the clinic, her hands stuck inside her jacket and tracing shapes on the snow at her feet. 

“Ellie. Aren’t you cold?” Alicia asked, meeting her under the porch. James had left her a lantern and an extra blanket, not that she was using the second item. 

“I’m fine,” scowled the girl, avoiding Alicia’s eye, hurrying to erase whatever she’d drawn on the snow. The woman could not decipher if Ellie’s sole reason for being annoyed at her was the fact that she’d caught her crying. 

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable inside?” 

“They kicked me out,” Ellie scoffed, finally divulging the reason for her foul mood. “Said I was distracting and bothering Doc.” 

Delaying the inevitable, entering the clinic, and finding out for herself the extent of Joel’s injuries, Alicia stepped up to the porch. She knew, in spite of all the lights turned off, that James was still up and had been trying to help Ellie out. She couldn’t really fault the guy for meeting such an unmovable force as Ellie herself. 

She sat down on the bench and waved at Ellie to join her. She shook her head, proving she was not ready to sit down and stay put. Pacing and standing helped channel her anxiety. 

“The fact that he threw you out is kind of a good sign,” Alicia said, warm voice, hoping she was choosing the right words. “He needs to concentrate to help Joel.” 

“I. . . May have yelled and snapped at him,” Ellie confessed. Her anger deflated now, her voice was sheepish, and she blushed a little bit at the embarrassing memory. 

“He’s a big man, he can take it,” Alicia promised, winking at the girl, which made Ellie crack a sadden smile. “The way I see it, you were only worried about Joel. Doc understands so, too. He only kicked you out so he could focus on saving Joel.” 

Ellie patted the ground a few times, looking straight at the clinic, wishing Tommy or anyone else would come out and give her some news. 

“I. . . I can’t lose him,” she whispered, almost wishing the wind would carry out her words. 

But Alicia was too close and she heard her, alright. She patted the bench again and this time, surrendering, unable to put up the brave façade for a minute longer, Ellie sat down. She even allowed Alicia to throw the blanket over her shoulders, easing her shivering. 

“Can I tell you something?” Alicia asked in a whisper. “I know how you feel. I’m not sure I could lose Joel, either.” 

That made it for Ellie, and she started weeping quietly, warm tears dropping from her eyes while she stared at the clinic. Trying her best not to set off crying too, Alicia rested her arm around Ellie’s shoulders. They both needed to share this, say the words aloud, let themselves think the worst for only a second before they picked themselves back up. 

“It’s a horrible world, this one,” Alicia said through the knot on her throat. “However, I do want you to know one thing: we can live on. As always, we’ll endure, move on. We can survive. We’ve both proven so multiple times. So, whatever happens, we will pull through. You won't be alone.”

Some time back, Joel told her about the injury he’d sustained while traveling with Ellie. Although he wouldn’t give her any details about where they were going or for what reasons, he did tell her about the horrifying fact that he would have died hadn’t it been for Ellie. There was marvel and awe in Joel’s voice as he explained to Alicia how Ellie had taken care of him throughout the worst of winter, kept him safe and sheltered, fed him possibly at the risk of her starving, and somehow found medicine for him to survive. 

It had taken Joel some time to figure it out, but Alicia understood easily enough. Ellie’s worst fear was ending up alone. 

At the very least, Alicia could soothe her worries and bring her solace. She had Tommy here, and, from what Alicia had seen, a good, and supportive group of friends. If god forbid, Joel’s injuries went beyond Doc’s capabilities and the meds at their disposal, Ellie wouldn’t turn out to be a lone survivor. She and Tommy and everyone else would make damn sure of that. That, Alicia vowed, even though she prayed it wouldn’t come to that. 

“Thank you,” said Ellie, fighting back the tears. “But it’s very difficult to think like that.” 

“I know. I know.”

Alicia looked back at the clinic, knowing she was just stalling. A bit ashamed, she remembered the fact that Ellie was not inside because she’d been thrown out, whereas she could hardly pluck up the courage to walk in. Sure, everyone dealt with pain and grief in different ways, but still, she had to do it. She needed to see first-hand, come to terms with the situation herself. She told herself the same thing she’d just told Ellie: whatever happened, they would all make it out, as always. 

“Do you mind if—?” 

“Go ahead.”

Shaking off the cold and the hesitation, Alicia stood. 

“Is there any chance in my asking—?” 

“No way in hell,” scowled Ellie. 

Alicia regretted seeing her mask back on. She saw again the stoic, brave, angered façade she’d seen upon her first meeting Ellie, a mask that only showed how deeply she cared for the man fighting life and death in there. Her allowing Alicia to go was a plea in disguise to keep her informed about Joel's condition. 

“I ain’t leaving without him.” 

For two seconds, Alicia tried to figure out what to say or do that might help her. Coming up empty, she nodded in farewell and crossed the street to the clinic. They hadn’t locked the door, so she stepped inside without any fuss or interrupting Doc’s work. 

All of five people stood around the bed, holding lanterns and flashlights while Doc operated on Joel. They were all showing signs of struggling and tiredness, and Alicia thought she should have prepared a kettle for them all. Maria and Tommy sat on a corner, the Miller brother almost dozing off after so many hours. 

He shook the daziness upon seeing her, though. 

“Ellie’s still outside?” he asked in a whisper. 

“Didn’t look like she was going anywhere soon,” Alicia said. 

Tommy nodded, not at all surprised. The Millers were indeed a bunch of stubborn and hot-headed people, Alicia sighed. Tommy had remained at the clinic despite his wounds and need for rest. 

Silently, Alicia walked forward, to the bed in question. There was a frighteningly large amount of blood on the floor and she shivered at the poor medical equipment they had at their disposal, but she bit her lip, knowing they’d have to make do. She could see Doc sowing Joel’s injuries—which extended from his shoulder to his stomach—and bit her lip harder, almost pouring blood, in order not to yelp or scream. She didn’t consider herself a damsel in distress who fainted at the mere sight of blood. 

The thing was, one too many memories assaulted her feelings and overwhelmed her at that same second when she saw that injury. She’d seen her fair share of wounds and corpses in the past twenty years. Many of them never made it. 

“Do you need help?” she asked, her voice barely audible to herself. 

“Stick around, just in case,” Doc warned her without looking up. “I’m afraid someone will pass out of exhaustion if I take too long.” 

Abiding by Doc’s orders, Alicia walked up to Joel’s bed. She knew he must be high in painkillers, and still, there were lines all over his forehead and eyes, he turned his head to one side and the other, and he kept mumbling things. His pained expression only made Alicia ache, even more, unable to stand his pain. Seeing the wounds up close, even now that they were, for the most part, patched up, made her realize it would be a goddamn miracle if Joel survived. 

She held Joel’s face, wishing she could encourage him, tell him not to surrender, to keep fighting till the end—for her and for Ellie. She didn’t like what she felt any more than what she’d already seen. 

“Doc, he’s burning up.” 

“I am well aware, Alicia,” the man scowled—she hadn’t made the scientific discovery of the century. “I’ve already given him antibiotics. Let the meds and his body run its course.”

Alicia didn’t need a Ph.D. to translate Doc’s words, either. She needed to keep quiet, lest she could be thrown out of the clinic, as well. She pursed her lips and stood still, letting her cold hands work against the fever, while the rhythmic movements of Doc’s instruments filled the silence, he and James working efficiently on all those injuries. They’d been there for hours, already, and didn’t suggest they should stop to rest. 

Unannounced, Tommy showed up by Alicia’s side and picked up a bowl from a nearby table. It was filled with a small pool of water. Tommy dipped his fingers in the liquid and approached his hand to Joel’s face. Alicia almost backed up at the cold touch—the water was freezing. She understood, however, as Tommy dropped drops of water on Joel’s cheeks, nose, forehead, chin, and neck, until there was no more water, and then he confirmed her suspicions.

“I’ll bring some more snow in,” said Tommy. They were trying to keep his body temperature down by using any means at their disposal. It was, so far, the only advantage for it being the dead of winter—lest Joel got pneumonia for it, of course. 

“You do that,” Kristen approved.

“Should keep Ellie informed,” Alicia whispered in response. She saw him nod—he’d probably planned to kill two birds with one stone. She would interrogate and pester anyone who came out of the clinic, either way, so Tommy couldn’t really escape her without getting the snow they so needed. 

“Will do,” he muttered, although he didn’t move, just yet. He lingered for a few more seconds, watching his brother injured and Doc working on the wounds, before leaving the bedside. Maria handed him his jacket and the two of them ventured outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Dina climbed up the steps to the porch just as Tommy was leaving the front door—coincidence or not, she didn’t know. By the look on the man’s face, Joel’s condition remained unchanged, and given the circumstances, Dina hesitated for a second there. 

Still, Tommy forced himself to put on a smile for Dina. She’d been dropping by a couple of times every day to check on Ellie or Joel—it was hard to tell at times—and they all appreciated her kindness. The same way the tokens of endearment from all neighbors, which had appeared on the doorstep incessantly the past couple of days, was also welcomed. 

“Hello, Dina. Come on in,” Tommy said, holding the door open for her. 

She stepped into the house, which was eerily and forlornly quiet. They were all used to hearing music coming out of this one house at all times, townsfolk sometimes stopped by to sing or dance to the music. However, since the accident, not a single note had been heard. They all begged such days would return soon. 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Dina went upstairs and turned to the left to Joel’s bedroom. As expected, Ellie was seated by the bedside, unmoving, her eyes never wavering from Joel’s, so focused that she would detect a muscle twitching.

“Hey there,” Dina greeted, soft voice, not that she could expect an answer from Ellie. 

She took from her coat the wrapped up sandwiches Alicia had prepared for Ellie and Tommy, but then saw that the sandwiches she’d brought in the morning laid untouched on a plate on the bedstand. 

“Are you wasting my time deliberately or do you just want to piss me off?” she scowled. 

Ellie finally reacted to her sour mood. She put her feet down and looked up at her, flashing the smallest of smiles. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she hadn’t slept one bit. It required a combined effort amongst Tommy, Maria, Dina, and now and then Alicia too, to convince Ellie to take the occasional break, go out for a walk, have something to eat, or take a shower. 

As worried a person as she was for Joel, she had the infuriating and exhausting tendency of disregarding her own needs. Not that they could blame her, of course. 

“Hi. Thanks.” She took the sandwiches, but did nothing with them. Instead, she just resumed her vital chore of keeping both eyes on Joel every second of the day. 

Unable to find words to comfort Ellie, Dina crossed her arms, hugging her chest tightly. It had been almost four days since Joel and Tommy’s fatal patrol and, although Doc reassured everyone Joel had sustained heavy injuries and his body needed time to heal and recover, people were beginning to fear the worst, already. Death was more than a familiar face and a well-known neighbor around here. 

Measuring her movements, Dina took the spare chair and settled by Ellie’s side, much closer than social conventions—or Ellie herself—would allow. At the present moment, though, the distance Dina chose between them was the least of Ellie’s problems. 

“I’ve got to say, you stink, Ellie,” Dina said dramatically, with a soft chuckle. 

“And you can scre. . .” 

“You should shower and change your clothes,” said Dina before Ellie started a two-minute rant about common manners, with an extraordinary variety of curses. 

“No,” she refused, plain and simple. 

“Yes. I can stay here with Joel while you take care of yourself.” 

“I’ll shower when he wakes up,” Ellie settled. It was her favorite response to everything, lately, one that was starting to piss Dina off. Didn’t matter what anyone suggested—eating, going out for a walk, anything at all—she answered with that. 

“What if he needs seven more days to wake up? I won’t stand the stench by then. Go shower, Ellie, for my nose’s sake.” 

Without the strength of repeating the same negative monosyllable, Ellie shook her head. For now, Dina gave up—wasn’t expecting a win on that front so easily, either way. She crossed her legs, feeling a little bit cold. She wondered if leaving Ellie alone, even if it was for about sixty seconds, to turn on the heater was a good idea. In the end, she decided against it. 

Instead, she settled in her chair, letting Ellie lean against her shoulder. She missed all the time they used to spend together. Sure, Joel’s convalescence hadn’t been that long yet, and that made it all the more pitiful, but it was the truth. The same day where Joel and Tommy returned from the patrol, no less, they’d been together all morning long working at the farmhouse, and they were supposed to meet Jesse and everyone else for a game of cards in the evening—hadn’t things turned upside down with that damned Bloater. Now that Joel’s life was at stake, no one dared made many plans anymore. 

“So, I’m guessing we’re not putting you on patrol rotation yet?” Dina asked after a minute—Jesse did ask, although everyone could have predicted Ellie’s answer. 

“Not ready,” said the girl, right on cue. 

“Come on, it could be good for you,” Dina said, patting Ellie’s shoulder. Heck, even getting out of this dark, sullen room would probably improve Ellie’s blue mood. Beyond Joel’s condition, the townsfolk started to worry about hers, too. 

“No. I couldn’t,” Ellie insisted. She flexed her legs and wrapped her arms around them. “I’d lose my mind out there, I’d only slow you down—or worse, become a liability to you.” 

“You’re one of the best—” 

“I couldn’t leave him without knowing if he’d be alive by the time I’d get back. Not again.” 

“Again?” 

Now Diana frowned, unaware that Joel should have been in grave danger before. She didn’t remember him being fatally wounded on any patrol since the two of them came to live in Jackson, that’s for certain. 

“It happened when we were traveling together,” said Ellie, sniffling. “Before we got here.” 

Since Ellie felt like sharing a part of her past story today for a change, Dina sounded out Ellie’s mood and was shocked to see that she accepted the sandwiches. She chewed and swallowed very slowly, and reached out a hand for Dina. 

“It was the beginning of winter, too,” she said, her eyes now lost beyond the window, her mind lost in the reveries. “We were attacked. . .”


	4. Chapter 4

With a grunt, Alicia set down the casserole over the stove and massaged her aching hands after the exertion. 

She looked around, unsure of what to do or say. It wasn’t the first time she’d been in here, although her visits amounted to a total of three dinners overall, but on all those occasions, Joel was conscious and about. He’d invited her in, they’d talked about everything and nothing at the same time, they’d cooked together, one time she even stayed long enough to watch a movie together, and Joel would, after a lot of persuasion, play a song for her. 

Being here while the man in question was battling life and death upstairs was. . . Unsettling, to say the least. 

“Something around here smells _very_ nice,” Tommy praised her cooking as he entered the kitchen. He eyed the casserole, hunger written plainly in his eyes. 

“Yeah, I figured you could eat something hot for a change,” said Alicia. 

“That’s very kind. Thank you.” 

Just to win a few more seconds, Alicia turned on the stove to reheat the stew. 

“You can go see him in a minute. I’ve convinced Ellie into taking a shower and changing before dinner.” 

“Nicely done,” she praised him in turn—he would be, by her estimates, the first one to actually manage to drag Ellie away from Joel's bed for a single minute, let alone for an entire meal. 

“Yeah, well, threats and duress might have been involved,” Tommy sighed, shrugging. “Not really parent material, here.” 

“Don’t think anyone is before they do become parents,” Alicia argued, winking at the man. Joel had certainly confessed to feeling useless back when his first daughter was born, considering how utterly lost he was, raising a baby all by himself. Not to mention the turmoil he went through ever since he’d been tasked to protect Ellie, who had become family, as well. 

“Maybe,” Tommy conceded. 

At that moment, they heard the water running upstairs and Tommy sighed deeply, relieved rather than proud or smug. He, too, had been worried Ellie would go back to watching over Joel the minute Tommy turned her back on her. 

“Can I—?” 

“Be our guest,” said Tommy, moving aside to let her go through the door. 

Despite the explicit permission she’d just received, Alicia froze for a second or two. She knew what she would find upstairs—however, having that knowledge and being ready to see him were two very different topics. Tommy nodded at her in encouragement, patting her elbow to help her out of the door. 

“Upstairs. Second room to the right,” he instructed in a whisper. That said, he walked past Alicia and checked the stew she’d brought in. 

Nervous steps, Alicia followed Tommy's instructions and found Joel's bedroom. The quiet and darkness made her even more anxious and she unbeknownst started biting her lower lip before opening the room’s door. 

The bedroom remained in the semidarkness given the curtains and shutters. Joel’s figure was still in the bed, but his breathing was less shallow and deep than the previous days, per Tommy and Doc’s retelling, which did ease some of her worries. 

Given the upcoming darkness, she turned on a lamp. She half hoped that the light would bother and wake Joel up, but the patient didn’t respond at all. It only heightened her sense of trespassing, somehow. 

A guitar leaned against the wall, one that both Tommy and Ellie used now and then to kill time and maybe lull Joel awake. There were half-eaten dishes of food on the floor, plus two worn-out chairs by the bed, with jackets and gloves and scarfs piled up to avoid visitors freezing to death upon hours of the vigil. Also, She saw dozens of bandages and medicines lying on the bedside table and she checked the hour, but knew he wasn’t supposed to take any drugs for now—Tommy would have told her about it. 

Ever so carefully, Alicia sat on the bed, without disturbing Joel. She put aside a flock of hair that had fallen over Joel’s eyes and felt with relief that he was not running a fever anymore. She let her hand linger against his cheek and noted that he needed a shaving soon—the stubble was a bit scratchy. It suited him, though. Despite all the silver, which would make Joel so angry, he looked good. 

Alicia smiled at the peaceful expression that met her. He always used to be so stoic, so worried over Ellie and so many other things, such a closed book. 

Under normal circumstances, Joel would hurry to distract her with something else altogether, as he would feel too self-conscious upon her touch. Seizing such an abnormal situation, she stayed there, softly massaging Joel’s wrinkles around the eyes and forehead, and drew small circles and patterns on his skin. 

After a few minutes, however, she did feel like she was doing something wrong and pulled herself up. She sat on the chair for a few more seconds, her feet crossed under herself, and wished that Joel would wake up at that moment and play that damned guitar instead of simply lying there and having the entire town worried sick. 

She got up, shaking off the anxiety and the nervousness, and paced around the room. The shelf was packed with personal stuff like clothes and pictures, but also some books—the title ‘Space Exploration for Dummies’ _did_ make her laugh—plus so many carved wooden figures. 

“Oh, you son of a. . .”

The vast majority of those carved animals were horses and their riders, which did not come as a surprise at all, as she’d seen him work on those sometimes. But then there was a small selection of five or six which did not include horses. . . But dolphins. _Her_ favorite animal. 

She took one of them and marveled at the details and the smoothness of the wood. It would have taken Joel quite some time to compile the animal collection. Couldn’t he have found the time to show it to her before? Or given her one of those dolphins as a gift, before she found it out by herself while he was unconscious and at death’s door due to a freaking Bloater attack? 

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but if you wanted to eat some of that porridge you brought, you better come downstairs, now,” said Tommy with a sheepish voice. 

His sudden appearance startled Alicia and she dropped the wooden dolphin, which bounced off the floor and, of course, landed by Tommy's foot. 

“Sorry,” he apologized, picking the figure up from the floor. He read the expression on Alicia’s face and smiled warmly at her as he delivered the figure. “You can keep it if you want. I’m sure Joel would want you to.” 

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’d much rather Joel gave it to me himself.” She didn’t really need to add the words ‘when he wakes up’ to the sentence, her meaning was clear enough. Everyone in the freaking town prayed day in and day out for the man to regain consciousness and his strength soon. 

“Of course,” Tommy nodded, looking beyond Alicia. 

His usually joyful demeanor dropped at seeing his brother like that and Alicia knew she needed to change the subject for his sake. 

“Well, I cooked the damned thing, I should be allowed a plate,” she teased. 

“Let’s go downstairs, then, before Ellie finishes the whole thing by herself,” said Tommy, waving outside of the room. “After you, ma’am.”


	5. Chapter 5

Her pen flew across the page, drawing all sorts of figures and pictures. Ever since she was a little girl, Ellie had been blown away by the fact that she could create something beautiful out of nowhere, by the means of a single pen. To this day, Dina and Joel were equally, extremely mystified and in awe. 

What with Joel still unconscious and her on his bedside day and night, she’d decided to make something useful out of her spare time. Over the past few days, the notebook sitting on her lap had been filled with sketches and black-and-white drawings, crammed in every inch of available white space. She’d used so far as models the most ordinary stuff she could see around the room, for her imagination ran low these days. 

And, most of all, she drew from memory. Joel was the subject of a vast amount of sketches—not that he’d ever be the wiser—dating back from their cross-country journey, to their time together here in Jackson. Basically, she’d drawn instances where he was conscious, her deepest desire, the plea she made a thousand times every hour, reflected plain and simple on those pages. 

The exasperated look on his eyes when she told him her puns and jokes. The look of concentration when he used to lit a fire to warm them through the night in the woods. The muscles of his hands, arms, and back as he adjusted the grip on his rifle, a weapon that seemed to belong in those arms, as if an extra limb. The tingle and sparkle she could see in his eyes whenever they met after each other’s patrols. The soft, satisfied expression when they sang and played together late at night. 

Millions of moments they’d shared, but not nearly enough, for she prayed a million more would come. 

“Hope you’re getting my good side this time.” 

Focused as she was on her work, Joel’s voice startled her and made her yelp. She’d missed it so much, for a second there it almost seemed like a prank, or worse, a voice from the hereafter. But the chuckling was unmistakably Joel’s, one she’d been dying to hear again. She saw him smiling, his chest heaving up and down as he laughed, a pained expression on his face. 

“Joel,” she stuttered. 

“Howdy.” 

_“Holy fuck! Joel!!”_ Ellie shrieked in the end. Her notebook and pen dropping on the floor, she threw herself to Joel, her arms around his neck. He welcomed her in, a grunt of pain escaping his lips nonetheless, giving her some space on the bed. “You’re awake! You’re alright!” 

“Of course, I am, baby girl,” he muttered, caressing her hair and back. “I ain’t leaving you. I told you I was going to be fine.” 

“You scared the fuck out of us! You’ve been out cold for more than a week!” 

“I’m sorry. I’m here now, kiddo,” Joel repeated time and time again. 

He shifted, giving Ellie some space to lie by his side, and used his thumb to wipe the tears off her eyes, only to be replaced by new ones the next second. He knew she needed more time to recover from the psychological consequences than he from the physical ones—his convalescence didn’t bring out the best or fondest of memories from their time together, he reckoned. 

“I should get Doc. . .” 

“In a minute,” he replied, squeezing her tighter against his side. Smiling triumphantly at Joel dismissing her duties, she snuggled closer. She wasn’t too proud to admit she wanted to have some alone and quality time back with Joel. “Let’s just stay here for a while. Pardon me, but you look like hell.” 

“You’re one to talk,” scowled Ellie, assessing his face. Apart from the obvious pain he was in and tried to underestimate, his hair and beard had gotten too long for him. They’d have to fix that one as soon as possible. 

“Just a little rest and I’ll be on my feet again,” he replied, calm voice, soothing some of her worse worries. “Sucks that it’s my right arm, though. Firing a gun or riding is not going to be easy.” 

“Well, that’s okay, because you’re not going to be on patrol for a while. You're staying right here, safe and sound.” 

Joel chuckled, confirming Ellie’s words. Patrol duties could wait—Ellie had skipped a few of those herself if he was not mistaken. He could let the younger generations take the mantel and be in charge of the town’s protection for a change. 

“However. . .” he said in an afterthought, checking the bandages and the movements he was able to do. 

Freaking out, as he knew she would, Ellie pulled aside. “What is it? Does it hurt?” 

“No, I was just taking a look,” he said, gently caressing the bandages over the wound. “It’s obvious you didn’t patch me up—this was done by Doc, not a butcher like yourself. It’s a relief, too, will take less time to heal.”

“Oh, piss off,” guffawed Ellie. 

In a too familiar gesture, she kicked Joel on the side. This time, he did yelp and covered the sore area with his hand, closing his eyes until the pain subsided. Ellie, realizing her mistake only a bit too late, froze until Joel breathed again, giving her a tilted smile for her to calm down. 

“You know, we also need to talk about your bedside manners.” 

“Sorry?” she whispered, trying to hide behind the blankets. 

Joel realized he couldn’t truly stay mad at Ellie for being herself, and pulled her in for another bear hug. She laughed, pretending to fight the open gesture of affection, but allowed Joel to kiss her on the crown of her head. 

“It’s okay, kiddo. I missed you, too.” 

“We all did,” she said, kissing his cheek in turn. “I’m going to fetch Tommy now, alright?” 

He pretended to ponder her masked suggestion for a second but, in the end, he released Ellie and let her get out of bed. She was as reluctant to leave as he’d been to let her go, but she also somehow found the strength to put on her coat and shoes. 

As he waited, Joel dozed off. He’d tried to put a brave and stoic façade in front of Ellie, knowing how much she’d suffered during his recovery, but he couldn’t deny he _was_ in pain and, however wrong it might be, the only thing in his mind at the moment was to get some sleep. 

When he opened his eyes again, who knew how much later it was, he found Tommy standing by the bed and Ellie was nowhere to be seen. Tommy soon explained her absence: she’d left to fetch Doc so they could hook Joel up with a healthy dose of drugs. Joel didn’t argue, his right side and stomach were throbbing. 

Tommy and Ellie showed their bottled concern in very different ways, that was for sure, Joel sighed after a minute. Ellie had been ecstatic, beyond exultant. Tommy, on the other hand, radiated anger and resentment, and he couldn’t even muster the confession that he, too, had feared for Joel’s survival and had missed him so much—Joel figured that, after the accident, there was a lot of anguish and self-guilt involved, although kept that thought to himself, too. 

“That kid never left your side for a second,” Tommy said. 

“Yeah, I figured,” Joel nodded, looking at the wall. “She looked like she hadn’t slept at all in days.” 

“Hey, you know how darned stubborn she is. Getting her to shower on occasion and putting on nice clothes was an everyday uphill battle.” 

Joel nodded—he remembered, back when Ellie lived under his roof. It just made him even more appreciative of the efforts Tommy and Maria made while he was out of it. “Thank you for looking out of her in the meantime.” 

“You almost left her an orphan once more,” he continued. Joel stirred at the words, but said nothing because his brother had spoken nothing but the truth. “Don’t do that to her ever again, or you’ll have me to answer to.” 

“I swear,” said Joel. Putting her through that hell again? He’ll do everything in his power to avoid so. He couldn’t forgive himself if that happened. Sure, Ellie wouldn’t be alone anymore, she’d have Tommy and Maria and her friends, but he knew it wasn’t enough for her. It was different between him and her. Almost as if he were Ellie’s father and she were his daughter, although no one had bothered, or dared, to put labels on their relationship. It would be tempting fate and, in such a dark, difficult world, it was best not to mess with fate. 

“Do not make me a surrogate father for that girl.” 

“I won’t,” Joel promised again, closing his eyes. To the best of his abilities, he’ll be by Ellie’s side till the end of time itself. 

“Alright, then. On a more lighter tone. . .” 

Tommy got whatever he’d been hiding behind his back and lied it on the bedside table. With some effort, Joel took the book, saw the bloodstains on its cover and pages, and realized it was one of the books he’d taken out of the Library, Catching Stardust. Joel had intended to give it to Ellie, and knowing so, Tommy had pondered about telling Ellie about it the past few days, but given the blood staining its pages, given the memories that were linked to the forsaken book, it might turn out to be an awful idea, now. 

However, the mere sight of the book made him chuckle—and realized laughing hurt, too. 

“So, while I was battling life and death, you took the time to salvage some stupid books?” 

“Hey, you’re alive, so what’re you complaining about exactly?” Tommy replied, sitting on the chair Ellie had left vacant. 

“That coming from my little brother. . .” scowled Joel. 

“A brother who loves you, flaws, and all.” 

Tiredness catching up on fast, he forced himself to stay awake if only for Ellie’s sake, and he wiggled, trying to find a more comfortable position. Tommy understood the stupid struggles his brother was putting himself through and forced him down on the bed, holding him down by the uninjured shoulder. He knew why Joel was pushing his body more than he was able to. 

“You need to rest,” he said. “No, don’t you dare to complain. Ellie will be alright, you just stay right here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it ! As promised, there is no need to worry, Joel will be alright :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I'll be able to update regularly given the upcoming holidays and work, but I'll do my best ! Hang in there, and I promise you, Joel's going to be all right ! I am not killing him off as they did in the games. . . 
> 
> Seizing the chance of wishing Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hannukah to every reader out there !


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